Richard was a
Bosonid, the son of
Bivin of Gorze and Richildis. His elder brother was
Boso of Provence and his younger sister was
Richildis, second wife of
Charles the Bald. In 875, after the death of the
Emperor Louis II, Richard and Boso accompanied Charles to Italy for his imperial coronation. In February 876, in
Pavia, while preparing for his return journey, Charles nominated Boso "Duke and
Viceroy of Italy and
Duke of Provence". In 877, on Charles's death, Boso returned to France and confided the realm of Italy and the Duchy of Provence to Richard and
Hugh the Abbot as
missi dominici. ,
ca 900. ---- In 879, Boso declared himself "King of Provence" following the death of
Louis the Stammerer, but Richard defected from Boso and took Boso's county of
Autun, which
Carloman II confirmed to him in 880. The two joined battle on the
Saône and Richard captured
Mâcon and garrisoned it in the name of Carloman and
Louis III under the command of
Bernard Plantapilosa, a relative of the hereditary
counts of Mâcon. After taking
Lyon, he besieged his brother's capital of
Vienne, where he was joined by Louis, Carloman, and the emperor
Charles the Fat. Richard eventually drove Boso out in 882 and captured his wife
Ermengard and children Engelberga and
Louis, sending them as prisoners to Autun. Boso went into hiding in Provence. After the death of Charles the Fat in 888, Richard supported the claim of
Duke Rudolph to be
King of Upper Burgundy and married his sister Adelaide, daughter of
Conrad II of Auxerre. Richard also supported the coronation of his nephew Louis as King of Provence in 890. Richard died and was buried at
Sens. He was exhorted by a bishop at his deathbed to beg a pardon for shedding so much blood in his life. He responded: ==Family==